Table for Two
by Anubis Monori
Summary: A kiss is never just a kiss.


"Everything is ready!"

"Great! I'll set the table. Which dishes do you want to use?"

Dorothy closed the door to the oven, focused on the tray in her hand. "It's just the two of us, Quatre. There's no need for any fine china. Just get regular plates and bowls; you know where they are."

He nodded and smiled. "Okay!" Quatre grabbed two plates and sat them on the counter next to Dorothy. "That smells good! What did you put on top of the chicken?"

"I made the sauce from white wine, garlic, and ginger." Dorothy paused as she took the lid off a pot. "Oh! Did you put the wine on the table?"

"Yes, not to worry. I got the salad prepared, too."

"Wonderful." Using tongs, Dorothy picked up both pieces of meat and put them on plates. "I made plenty of pasta, so take as much as you want."

They both finished getting their food and sat down at the table. Quatre opened the wine and poured two glasses. Dorothy smiled at him, raising her own. "Happy Valentine's Day, Quatre."

"Happy Valentine's Day, Dorothy." They clinked their glasses together. Quatre brought it to his lips and stopped. "Um… this is nonalcoholic, right?"

Dorothy giggled. "Yes, don't worry. But the wine I used in the chicken isn't, so don't blame me if you start feeling dizzy." Quatre stopped, his eyes wide. Dorothy couldn't help but laugh. "I'm teasing you! Now come on, eat."

"Ha… right." They both started into their meals.

Quatre was not expecting how sudden the table became quiet. He and Dorothy took slow bites of their food, each waiting for the other to start a conversation. Normally it would have come easily, but today felt different to Quatre. The awkward silence began to bother him so he finally put his napkin to his lips and cleared his throat. "So, you didn't have to work today?"

"No, Miss Relena insisted I take the day off. Of course, a holiday such as this doesn't stop her from working."

"Has she heard from Heero?"

Dorothy shook her head. "Unfortunately, neither of us have since Christmas… although maybe he won't be so far away tonight…" she said to herself, smiling. Picking up her glass, she took a sip before continuing. "What about you? You're not working tonight?"

Quatre sighed. "Oh no. All I seem to do nowadays is paperwork. That can certainly wait another day. Actually… I was rather relieved when you called. Duo is with Hilde, Wufei is working, and Trowa has a performance. I would have been alone."

Dorothy nodded. "Me too. I'm delighted you accepted my invitation."

"Well, it's tough being single on Valentine's Day. At least we can be alone together, right?" Quatre smiled.

Dorothy looked down at her food. "Yes… single." She brought her fork to her mouth but dropped it abruptly. "Quatre…" He looked up at her. "…if I may be so bold, did you get me anything for Valentine's Day?"

"Hm? Oh yeah, I got you a card. I left it on the coffee table, let me go grab it…"

"No, no, it's fine." Dorothy took a breath and stood up from the table. Quatre stood up as well; it seemed to be a reflex. "I only ask because I got you something too and I'd hate to look foolish."

Quatre's brow furrowed in thought. "What is it, Dorothy?"

Dorothy smiled, although this time it felt a little more difficult to do so. "It's okay, you can sit down." He didn't move. "Really, Quatre, please sit, relax." He waited a moment more before sitting with hesitation.

Dorothy took a breath to calm herself before she started walking around the table. "You grew up the youngest child, the only male in the Winner family, and so you walked in your father's shadow, am I right?"

"Well… I can't really argue with you there…" Quatre couldn't hide the anxiety that was building in his voice. Where was she going with this?

Dorothy continued towards him with measured steps. She put a hand on the table to steady herself. "And after that, a warrior devoted to the fight for peace and freedom." He nodded. "It's only been a couple of months since the Gundams were destroyed. Since then, you've picked up where your father left off and you're helping your friends… what are their names again?"

"The, uh, the Maganac Corps?"

"Yes. You're helping them integrate back into society. All of this has left you very busy and I'm guessing you haven't had much free time to pursue any… personal interests." Dorothy stopped, pushing Quatre's plate aside before sitting on the table in front of him.

Quatre looked up at her like a cornered mouse. "Um, well, again, I hate to admit it, but I agree with you." He swallowed. "What… what are you…"

"Quatre, I'm going to kiss you."

The blonde man's eyes widened as he froze in his seat. His mind went blank as Dorothy leaned down and put her lips against his. She interlaced her fingers with his and brought her other hand to his cheek. Her tongue pushed against his mouth and he opened it, letting her explore as his own tongue flattened against the bottom.

After a few moments their lips parted and Dorothy pushed herself off the table. She was beaming; he was still in shock. "Did you feel that, Quatre? That spark? The electricity between us!"

Quatre's lip quivered. "Well yes… but no… I mean… I…" He jumped up from his chair and Dorothy fell backwards in surprise. "I don't know what… I think we…"

"No, it's okay." Dorothy looked down, trying to hide the tears gathering in her eyes. "I get it; I went too far. I'm sorry. I don't want to do anything that would hurt the relationship we already have. I value you too much."

"Dorothy…" Quatre let down a stiff hand towards her, which only made her turn away farther.

"Please, it's fine. We can just forget about it." She stood up, again using the table to support her. "Just let me run to the washroom for a moment."

Quatre rubbed his arm. Now his whole body felt stiff. "I don't want to make things awkward… I think that it might be best if I just leave for tonight."

Dorothy coughed, fighting back her tears. "If you think so."

"…The meal was delicious," Quatre said, trying to ease some of the tension.

"Yes, thank you." She could not turn around.

He paused. "I can call you tomorrow."

"That's fine."

"Um, I'll see myself out. Have a good night, Dorothy."

"Yes." Dorothy didn't move. She only knew he had left from the sound of her front door opening and closing. Finally alone, the tears washed down her face. She grabbed her wine glass and threw it on the floor, crying out.

**oOoOo**

"Thank you." The housekeeper nodded to Trowa before walking away. He knocked on the door in front of him. "Quatre! I got your message. What's so urgent, what did you need to talk about?"

The door flung open and Quatre stood there. Without a word he grabbed Trowa and pushed his lips against the brunette's.

Trowa paused for a minute, their lips together, before he took Quatre's shoulders and separated from him. "Quatre…"

"You felt that, right!" This was less of a question and more of an exclamation. "That spark of electricity!"

In contrast to the man in front of him, Trowa remained calm and collected. "Do you mind if I come in?"

"Of course! Gosh, where are my manners?" Quatre gestured to a couch and tried to laugh while Trowa stepped past him. The couch was littered with books and folders. As Trowa leaned down to clear them, Quatre swiped everything up and dumped it onto an end table. Trowa nodded and sat; Quatre wasted no time taking the adjacent spot.

Trowa folded his arms in his lap. "What is this about, Quatre?"

"What do you mean? It's about me, and you, and us, and our, um, relationship!"

"I understand that, but why the sudden leap forward?"

"Do you not feel the same way, Trowa?"

"I'm more trying to understand how _you_ feel." Trowa scratched his chin. "How was dinner last night? You spent it with Dorothy, correct?"

Quatre rushed through his answer. "It was good. It was great. Really quite pleasant."

Trowa narrowed his eyes. "What did you have to eat?"

"I… uh… we had salmon, and potatoes, and…"

"Didn't you tell me Dorothy is allergic to seafood?" Quatre did not have a reply. "Come on. What happened?"

Even though Quatre turned away, Trowa could see his face turning red. "Dorothy and I… well, we kissed." Trowa nodded but kept silent, waiting for the blonde to continue. "So, I mean we've stayed pretty close since the war. We've kept in touch. We go out to eat all the… well, as often as we can with our schedules. I just wasn't expecting… this!"

"Is it a problem?"

Quatre ran his hands through his hair. "No. It wasn't bad at all. I was so shocked at first, but it felt… nice. And then just now, with you… that also felt…" He looked away again. "…nice… but in a different sort of way."

"How so?"

"I don't know! I don't understand any of this! Why does it all have to be so damn confusing!" Tears started to form in Quatre's eyes.

For the second time since he arrived Trowa was taken aback. He put his hand on Quatre's arm. "Quatre, you are the kindest person I have ever met. I recognized that from the moment I met you; why do you think I surrendered to you during our first battle?"

"I was the one who surrendered, you goof," Quatre mumbled. "I remember that day too."

Trowa smiled. "You've always shown an incredible amount of love and mercy to those around you, even to your enemies. A kiss is just one of many gestures of love."

"But it's not something you just do to anyone. It's for those who are special. Those who feel special to you."

Trowa pursed his lips and nodded. "True. So who do you feel that way about?"

Quatre leaned his head against Trowa's shoulder and closed his eyes. "I don't know. When I'm with you, all I think about is you. But when I'm with Dorothy, it's just her."

"Well, this is something you'll have to figure out," the brunette replied softly. "I can't tell you how to feel."

"Right now I feel like getting into bed, covering my head with my blanket, and going back in time three days." Trowa leaned back into the couch and put his arm around Quatre.

**oOoOo**

Trowa reached up and pressed the doorbell. He heard the ring echo throughout the house. "Nice breeze today…"

The door opened to a woman with long blonde hair. "Right on time. Please, come in."

"Thank you."

"Sit down. I just put some tea on, would you like a cup?"

"Yes, thank you." Trowa took a seat in a rather picturesque armchair. A couple more chairs like it encircled a coffee table. The entire area looked like something he imagined one would see in a catalog, except for a small envelope sitting conspicuously on the table.

Dorothy returned with a silver platter. On it were a kettle, two teacups, milk, and honey. She picked up the kettle and poured tea into a cup; it had a color slightly darker than the honey sitting next to it. "How do you take it?"

"Just like that is fine." He took the cup and sipped. It was strong, oolong perhaps?

Dorothy prepared her tea and sat in a chair across from him. "I assume this is about Quatre." Trowa nodded. "He is pretty much the only thing we have in common. He told you what happened?"

"Yes," Trowa confirmed.

Dorothy sighed. "I expected him to go to you. What did he say?"

"He's confused. He's never had to face emotions like these before."

"Neither have I," she replied.

"Nor I." Dorothy raised an eyebrow as he set down his teacup.

She rested her chin on her hand. "What does that mean, Trowa?"

"He kissed me too."

Dorothy was thrown off-guard not only by the statement but the lack of emotion behind it. Did Trowa feel nothing about their kiss or was he just hiding his own feelings? She cleared her throat. "Well, that does make sense, all things considered. I should've known he was… that way."

"He's not any way. Like I said, he's confused. Quatre is the type of person who develops a plan before tackling a problem. He's never been in a position where he is completely unable to do so."

Dorothy sighed, taking a moment to drag her spoon around her cup. "Quatre reminds me of my father. He was a kind man, but his kindness got him killed. Once that happened, I saw compassion as a weakness, something that would hold you back. So I rejected it in my own heart. I embraced fighting, I embraced war, I embraced bloodshed. It wasn't until I met Quatre that I realized the true strength a gentle heart can hold."

Trowa smiled. "He's good at that."

Dorothy looked up from her cup, returning the smile. "Well, it seems you and I have something else in common now."

"Yes." Trowa recognized that she was referring to the kiss.

"Let me ask you something," Dorothy began, leaning forward. "How exactly do you feel about Quatre?"

Trowa paused. "He's someone who is very dear to me."

Dorothy folded her hands in her lap, nodding slightly. "To me as well… Alright then. What do you propose we do, Trowa Barton?"

"We wait. We let him sort this out."

"Are you suggesting we just ignore him?"

"Not at all. He needs support. He needs to know that no matter what he discovers about himself, we will stand by him."

"And if he chooses me?"

"Then I will support him and stand by him."

Dorothy nodded again. "And either way, so will I." She paused and a small grin drew across her face. "Though I must admit, I am curious to see how this plays out."

Trowa took a final sip of his tea. "What is this?" He gestured to the envelope.

He watched as Dorothy's confidence dropped. Perhaps she didn't notice it was still sitting there. "That is… the card Quatre got me for Valentine's Day."

"You haven't opened it yet?" Dorothy shook her head. "Maybe you should."

She clenched her fists in her lap. "I… can't."

Trowa watched her for a moment before setting down his cup. "I should be going. I don't want to keep Catherine waiting too long. Thank you for meeting with me today."

Dorothy stood, clearing her throat. "Of course. You are welcome any time. I'll see you out." She walked him to the door and closed it behind him. Returning to her seat, she stared at the envelope. Minutes dragged on as she looked down at the item without flinching. Finally she grabbed it and tore it open.

As Dorothy read the card, she felt fresh tears drop, covering the words. "Ever since we met you've been there for me and I want you to know that I cherish the time we spend together. I'm so happy to know such a special woman. You are loved and appreciated, not just today but every day. Happy Valentine's Day."


End file.
